//------------------------------// // 2: Recovery // Story: Lunar Convergence // by Lord_Artemis //------------------------------// The burning edge of the portal collapsed into a zero-dimensional point and popped out of existence with a small flash. This cued Artemis to cease staring at the retreating lazuline posterior, and he closed his eyes to shake himself. After he snapped out of his reverie, he looked up to see his brother much in the same state as he was just a few moments ago, except with an almost hungry glint in his eyes that disturbed the Lunar Prince. “Solaris!” He shouted, startling the gawking prince as well as his student, who apparently was also staring after the shapely flanks that had just marched their way out of their presence. Solaris started his usual deep chuckle, though Artemis thought he spied a light crimson tint to his cheeks. The blush of embarrassment was much more glaringly obvious upon the youngest prince, as he furiously turned away from them trying to hide the burning red across his face. “We are of much too high a rank and stature to be reduced to a couple of drooling buffoons at every pretty pair of eyes and round set of... ahem. It is far below us to act so inappropriately around a foreign dignitary. What kind of impression do you think that left on her? That an entire country is ruled by a set of lunkheads who think only with their... uh... other horns when around members of the fairer sex?” Dusk dejectedly kicked at the moon dust at the scolding, and to Solaris' credit, he too looked genuinely ashamed at his behavior. I sure hope that nopony noticed that I was acting that way too, especially not her... Artemis thought to himself, slightly embarrassed. “Well, I guess we should get you back to the apothecary, uh, right?” Dusk Shine said hesitantly, trying to change the subject. Artemis nodded to him and he relaxed, thankful he was getting back into territory he was familiar with. Carefully, the two standing princes lifted the third with their combined telekinetic grips, and slowly walked through the portal back to Equestria. Artemis' head spun at the sudden change of environment, actually being surprised not to see Equestria up in the sky, and instead being indoors at the castle. He looked around and was immediately confused about something. “Why is my mirror in your room?” He asked, looking accusingly at his brother, but it was Dusk who spoke up. “Well, I told you that I would blast your room out of the castle at any sign of dark magic... and there was a lot of that when you left for the moon that last time so I... made good on my word.” There was a definite apology in his tone, but no hint of remorse. Artemis saw from his confident expression that he was sorry he had to act, but not sorry he did. It was standard procedure to isolate the source of dangerous magical artifacts, which his room had become a host to, but Artemis knew that Dusk had plenty of experience with things like this. He also knew that his friend had suffered the consequences in training when a simple magic barrier could not contain the more powerful of artifacts. The isolation had been instead administered in distance rather than a magic containment field, and there was no collateral damage this time other than his belongings. Artemis recalled stories his brother had told him of how Dusk had learned that belongings could be replaced, but some other thing could not. Dropping that melancholy train of thought, the Lunar Alicorn decided to change the subject. “I guess we should alert the apothecary that we will be coming? I can't imagine the commotion we would stir up if we arrived like this unannounced.” “They have already been alerted and are ready for us.” Solaris said as the trio reached the door leading out of his private chambers. “In fact...” He said as he opened the door, revealing a mass of uniformed and mask wearing medical ponies assembled in the hallway beyond. “We woke u' the day shift ponies early, and called in all o' the private surgeons from around Can'erlot, per your order, Prince Solaris.” Stated one uniformed pony whom Artemis recognized as the Master of the Royal Medica Academy. Though stately in posture, Master Arwyl was undoubtedly an old pony, his round face clearly showing wrinkles from around his medical mask and his spectacles giving him an odd sort of grandfatherly appearance. Shooting his brother a glare, Artemis swallowed his dismay at the large turnout and addressed the elderly unicorn. “Master Arwyl, while it is appreciated that you have taken my medical needs seriously, it seems hardly necessary for so many ponies to be here just for me.” He felt himself being gingerly lifted onto a medical gurney by several dozen anxious magical fields cast by the surrounding mass of medical ponies. The overzealous care from those assembled resulted in a painstakingly slow transfer, as no two ponies seemed to agree on a set pace, nor when to release him. After finally being set on the soft blankets and sheets atop the trolley, the old pony answered him, being one of the concerned ambulatory ponies himself. “Well, m'lord, I mean no disrespect, but alas, twas your elder brother's wish. He specifically directed that all available ponies with even a lick o' medical training were ta be assembled for your arrival.” An even more venomous glower shot from the Lunar Alicorn to his brother, which was interrupted only by the gentle forward motion of the gurney under him as he was wheeled down the hallway. Hushed murmurs were passed through the crowd as the Prince came into view, his grievous wounds available to see until a senior nurse noticed and covered his mangled frame. Even some of the more experienced surgeons were looking green around the gills at such a graphic display of twisted limbs and crumpled wings on a pony, much less their Prince. As Artemis was wheeled around a corner and out of sight of his brother, the seething anger in his chest was replaced by burning embarrassment. All of these subjects seeing me in my weakest and most vulnerable state, the term 'Unbecoming' falls utterly short. I will make Solaris pay for this cruel knavery! His angry thoughts were interrupted as he unintentionally tensed his wings in anger, and a white hot bolt of pain shot down his back as torn muscles pulled and broken bones bent. A scream of agony was barely toned down to an intense hiss, but this still was noticed by the hypersensitive group of doctors and nurses. A score of concerned questions rung out, asking how he was, what hurt, where it hurt, what he did, and the like. Willing the welling tears back into his tear ducts, he opened his clenched eyes and tried to conciliate them. However, these ponies were used to the usual “I'm fine” routine, and anything he said went totally unheeded by the attendants as they continued to do their best to examine the Prince before he even made it to the medical wing of the castle. “Master Arwyl! Please! Call off your blood hounds before they comfort me to death!” Artemis finally called out as the elderly unicorn came into view. He quirked an eyebrow and came over to the Prince, confused by the contrast between his two rulers orders. After a brief private discussion with the Lunar Prince, he quickly began ushering away the vast majority of the assembled ponies. Though nopony could see it, he was wearing a bemused smile under his mask at the antics of these two royal figures, who were acting more like a pair of unruly youngsters pranking each other than the two most powerful beings in Equestria. As the doors to the Medica opened to allow Artemis into surgery, the old stallion nodded respectfully and encouragingly to him and the now much more reasonable-sized medical team. He smiled again at the grateful look on the Prince's face, and turned towards the classroom in which he taught and set off, already formulating how he would tell this tale to his fellow masters of the Arcanum at lunch break. ~~~ Dusk Shine cringed as the doctor on the other side of the glass twisted Artemis' crumpled wing into a jig to set the splintered bones. Looking away from the private window on the side of the operating room, he glanced at his mentor, who was standing next to him and sharing in the spectacle. Solaris was acting quite strangely, requesting that they use the operating room in the Medica that was traditionally used in operating demonstrations for the students. As Dusk studied his face closely, he saw the tell-tale signs of tension in his well practiced mask of neutrality that he wore in times of consternation. “Are you alright, My Lord?” The young alicorn asked, reverting to his tralatitious title to get his attention. He blinked and turned towards his former squire inquisitively, but as he dropped his guard slightly, worry lines spread across his forehead. “You seem pretty worked up right now... I mean, I get it, but you have come closer to being killed more times in my lifetime than I can count... Even by your brother. What's up?” Solaris took a moment to try to regain his composure, but seeing the honest look of concern on Dusk's face, decided to drop it. Letting out a deep sigh, he closed his eyes and dropped his head, momentarily displaying the immense burden upon his shoulders. Straightening back up, he addressed him in a tired tone, “I am fine, I am simply... concerned for my little brother's well being.” He looked back into the room and shook his head. “This just brings back memories, old memories from a time so far past that even the mountains do not know them. Seeing him like that... ugh...” “Like what? Like Night-terror Knight? Man, I get that... he sure is scary!” Dusk joked, trying to lighten the mood of his long time idol and friend. “No, though that pains me too. How he looks now, how injured he looks, and how young he looks with his mane reverted. He really is my little brother in this state... I sometimes forget how much he has grown, but never before has it been so startlingly apparent.” Solaris sighed almost wistfully, lost in memory and thought. “Oh... I... Uh...” Dusk said, slightly uncomfortable by the change in attitude of this pony who had always been so bold and confident in the face of events like these. A thought struck the inquisitive pony, and his conflicting emotions fell away to inquiry. “What is with your manes, anyways? Would yours do that if you were injured fatally?” He had fought alongside his mentor in countless battles, so he wracked his memory for any such transformation, but could not remember any such occasion. “Oh, he is not fatally wounded! It takes a lot more to kill an alicorn, and my brother and I are more resilient to injury than most creatures this side of Draconia.” Solaris chuckled, seeming to lighten up a bit. “His mane looks like this because he has lost connection with the moon. His hair is transformed to Aether only when he is the Lunar Aspect, and he stopped being that when Night-terror took over.” At the look of confusion on his former pupil's face, he decided to elaborate. “Night-terror Knight is a Daemon that infected Artemis' Aspect-hood when he visited the Realm of Nightmares. Using our parent's relics a thousand years ago, he ventured beyond our dimension...” “I know that already, he told me.” Dusk cut him off, curiosity getting the better of him and overpowering manners. “What do you mean, connection to the moon? Like he can't move it or whatever? Is that what being an aspect means?” Solaris raised his eyebrows, surprised that his brother had trusted another pony with secrets like that, and also surprised at how brazen this normally reserved and respectful stallion was acting. “He told you about how watching the fears of everypony in that realm invaded him, and how he practically became the Aspect of Fear in the form of Knight-terror?” “Well, he didn't quite mention that, but I wouldn't have understood him if he had said that anyways, since I don't know what the Aspect thing is anyways!” Dusk replied hastily. “To answer your questions, I will ask you another question. Were not you and I both able to move the moon ourselves when we needed to?” Solaris stated sagaciously, donning the mantle of instructor for the stallion again. “Huh, I guess so... It is just a spell that takes alicorn magic to execute, no big deal... So why is his connection to the moon so important?” Dusk replied slowly, pondering this new puzzle. “It is so important because it is not simply the movement of the moon that his connection is for. When we were but foals; learning to cast basic spells, how to tend the land and culture life, and how to take off in flight; both Arty and I had manes and tails made of normal hair, like you or anypony else. We were alicorns, princes, even, but we were not Aspects yet. Father tended the sky and stars, spinning the cosmos around above, and Mother laying the foundations of the realms. We simply had to learn what it was to be ponies, so we could teach our citizenry in turn. When we were ready, Father past on his powers to us, relinquishing the name and soul of the sun and moon and stars to the sky, to be held by the celestial beings themselves. But they needed guides and keystones, which is where we came in. By studying them and learning from Father, we called their names and held onto them, as they anchored onto us and we supported their pull. We became their souls, knew their names, and they became part of us. That is what being an Aspect means.” “Wow... O-okay, that is... yeah.” Dusk breathed in bewilderment. “So I guess that means I don't get to cash in on that whole cool hair thing... huh. I thought that was just part of being a Prince...” Solaris burst out in a great chortle in his deep voice, causing Dusk to let out an abashed chuckle. “No, it takes a bit more than a title and some wings. But do not lose hope, there are plenty of great celestial beings that have no Aspects. Tell you the truth, I think you are well on your way to looking into Aspect of Friendship, if such a thing exists. I had been banking on Aspect of Magic or some such, but even Starburst the Braided didn't achieve that, though she never ascended to a princess either. And anyways, your knowledge and power with friendship is far beyond anything simple magic knowledge could match up to.” He grinned as his pupil seemed to lighten up, a look of wonder creeping onto his face. “Before you get too worked up, though, it is a tremendous burden to bear, and grants immortality, which is not really the blessing you would think it is...” Solaris' eyes went distant and downcast for a moment, causing Dusk to gulp hard. “The connection, though... that is true power. That is what Artemis does not have right now, the ability to arrange the stars and change the phases of the moon. Being able to make them twinkle and dance, or hide their light completely. He truly can make the night sky his own when he is connected. But without him, the moon hangs lifeless, the stars float dead in the void. A spell can move them, but it is little more than a macabre puppet show, their bodies moving as marionettes for the caster. I would feel sick to see my Sun moved like that, to see my day that empty... ugh...” He shivered, trying to dismiss the mental image. “I have noticed that the night sky is much more beautiful now that he is back, but I just thought it was Artemis' greater skill with the spell.” Dusk said thoughtfully. “Not only is it more beautiful, but it is more alive! Under that new sky, nightlife flourishes. Nocturnal animals are more healthy and prosperous, flora that blooms at night has returned, even ponies who are active in the night will tell you that they feel the magic has returned to the night. More ponies than ever have nights out; parties are being held under the moon, nightclubs are being opened. It is subtle, but unspeakably powerful.” Solaris said, his chest swelling with pride for his brother. “Wow... I never knew that. Well, I never knew any of this, even with my extensive and thorough research of... well, practically everything.” Dusk said, chuckling lightly. “Of course, none of this is written in books or tombs, it only exists in the memories of my brother and I. Since you are a prince now, we both decided that you had fair range of our secrets now. Well, most of our secrets...” Solaris told his former student with a smile, then blushed as he realized that his secrets had caused this whole mess. Scratching the back of his head, he chuckled guiltily and turned back to looking at his brother, who was being sown up in various places by the surgeons. “Well...” Dusk said, letting out a great yawn. “Looking back I have gotten like, less than eight hours of sleep in the last... whew... hundred. I really should get on to sleep. It's like...” He looked around and found a clock on the wall, reading half past four in the morning. “Holy crap! I'll see you later, I really do need to get to sleep!” He quickly walked over to the door and opened it, looking back to see if Solaris had heard him. “Are you coming? I think he will be fine, he looks almost done, and you have been up for at least as long as me. And don't give me any of the “Alicorn Fortitude” excuse, you look like Tartarus!” “I... I am going to just stay up, sunrise will soon be upon us, and then I can declare a state of emergency to get out of court for today. I mean, seriously, this totally constitutes as an emergency, after all.” Solaris said, putting on a haggard grin. “And I wish to stay here with my brother to... see him through this.” Dusk nodded and retreated through the door, leaving the Solar Prince alone with his thoughts. ~~~ Artemis' eyes fluttered open, only to firmly shut again at a glaring assault of harsh white light on his corneas. Squinting, he managed to look around and come to the conclusion that he was in a hospital bed, which explained the bright antiseptic glow around him. This also put him into a sour mood, as bright lights and hospital beds were two of the least comfortable things he could imagine. After a few moments, he attempted to swallow to clear his throat, only to feel an arid rawness coating the inside of his esophagus. Trying to clear his throat with a cough, he tasted the acrid bight of blood, and decided against that particular course of action. Looking around, his displeasure with his situation increased as no nurses or attendants seemed to be around him, leaving him alone with a single guard leaning against the frame of the doorway. This lax position was definitely out of what his duty demanded of this guard, decided Artemis, as was the disrepair and obvious lack of care for his armour. Inspecting closer at this, it was actually combat armour the guard was wearing, with multiple scorch marks and dents adorning the heavy plates. This was out of the ordinary, and a thought struck the prince that this may not be a guard at all, but an assassin or spy who had stolen their grandfather's armour or some such. Artemis surreptitiously turned his torso to face the white-coated guard fully, in case of an attack, and attempted to lean forward. At this, a terrible tugging sensation tore about his chest, pain erupting all across his body in numerous locations, causing him to release a few grunts and hisses of agony despite his best efforts to contain them. At this slight noise, the guard suddenly roused, and rushed towards him. The prince braced himself, attempting to charge an attack from his horn, but before any actions were taken, the guard called out. “My lord, are you alright?” Genuine concern and care laced the white stallion’s tone, allowing for any suspicion of malicious action to be dismissed by Artemis. He then removed his helmet, his coat darkening as the magical enchantment of the headgear subsided. Long locks of blonde hair fell to the brown pony's shoulders, clearly not in regs for the guard, even the lax ranks of the solar guard. Artemis quirked an eyebrow at the pony, trying to place the face among any of the vast ranks that he had seen, but could not remember this pony at all. Glancing back quickly, he noticed that the stallion standing in front of him had a cutie mark of a bandage and a red cross, which only added to his curiosity. Hesitantly, he spoke to the waiting pony. “Guard, get me a nurse... and a glass of water.” He rasped out, hoping that this seemingly imposter guard was simply on reserve duty or something, where long hair was allowed. An abashed grin crept onto the corner of the earth pony's snout before he responded. “Beg your pardon, my lord, but I am a nurse. I am First Aid, the chief night nurse for the royal hospital. The armour is from when I was a combat medic about, oh, half a dozen years back. I am wearing it because... ahaha...” He trailed off, chuckling slightly while trying not to look the prince in the eyes. “What?” Artemis rasped again, more urgently this time as the thought that they may be under attack gripped his mind. First Aid took a step back, bracing himself as he extended a hoof forward in a placating gesture. “No, everything is fine!” He said quickly, trying to calm the prince down as his eyes started to dart around the room in suspicion and paranoia. “You just have been... rather aggressive each time you have woken up. I replaced the attendants and nurses who usually would watch after you, as there were a few... encounters...” The Lunar Prince's expression sunk as he understood what the nurse was telling him. Noticing the downtrodden look, First Aid hurried on with his sentence. “But everypony involved is alright, since we are in a hospital, after all. And repairs on your first two recovery rooms are well underway. However, that is why I am wearing my old battle armour, I have been watching over you for the last day and a half.” As First Aid turned the helmet thoughtfully and appreciatively in his hooves, Artemis saw a testament to his violence in the form of several deep dents and magical scorch marks marring the polished surface of iron. A moment drew out until Artemis cleared his throat and grimaced at the blood he tasted again. The nurse's eyes quickly widened, and he hurried from the room, only to return moments later with a tall glass of water, which the prince accepted graciously. After downing the contents of the glass, Artemis cleared his throat and stated. “Thank you, First Aid. Your loyalty and service to the crowns has not gone unnoticed, and shall not go unrewarded.” He handed back the empty glass to First Aid after the nurse stallion had risen from his deep bow. A few moments later, the glass had been refilled, and Artemis attempted to grasp it in his magic, but a pain at his horn base stopped him. He reached out and grasped the glass with his hooves, his mind turning inwards as he finally took a moment to examine his faculties and form for what damage he had sustained. As the alicorn looked himself over, First Aid politely interrupted his musings. “You are doing much better now, my lord, but when you came in you were... in quite a state.” Looking at the chart beside the bed, which had several noticeable scorches to its corners. “Three bones in your right wing were fractured, while all 16 in your left had compound fractures, practically splintered. Both forelegs had broken radius bones, while the rear left leg had a shattered tibia and femur.” Making a face of disgust, he looked up to the prince, seemingly asking if he wanted to go on, to which Artemis nodded. “Eight cracked ribs, broken sternum, three cracked thoracic vertebrae and the top lumbar vertebra. Both temporal bones broken, the left being more severe, fractured into twenty-six pieces. And that is just the bones, so all that and a punctured lung, severe bruising to your heart, along with uncountable muscle lacerations and brain damage. It is a miracle you survived.” Artemis nodded numbly along with the prognosis until the end, at which he laughed grimly. “Tis no miracle, good sir. While my bones are stronger than an ordinary ponies', alicorn resilience is rooted in our unstoppable ability of recovery and resistance to such injuries. Believe me, my brother and I have sustained much worse on the battlefield before, and then we only had field apothecaries to bind our wounds and hope.” The earth pony gulped hard and looked at the alicorn in front of him again. The wounds he had suffered had made him seem almost normal, but the thought of a pony surviving something even worse than this was unimaginable. First Aid was yet again reminded of how powerful and strong these princes were, and thanked his stars that he was on their side. ~~~ “Alright, my lord, nice and slow. Horn over hooves.” Said one of the attendants, carefully assisting Prince Artemis to stand up and lean on his crutches for the first time. The other nurse was holding the crutches still with her magic, and bracing the other side of the large pony. “I have done this before, you know.” Artemis grumbled quietly, but at the look from the nurses, he grinned sheepishly. “That, of course, does not mean I couldn't use you two lovely mares' help...” He clarified after clearing his throat in embarrassment. First Aid had been replaced by these two mares after he had been awake enough to be deemed safe, and while both ponies were acting and speaking carefully, they were not wearing armour, which was a sign of good faith in the ruler's recovery. Since the rather violent actions of the sedated prince had torn a few holes through the infirmary, Solaris had decided to post a member of the Lunar guard at every corner of the hospital's hallways. While they had helped move the ponies out of the line of fire, those that attempted to stop the restless alicorn in his hazy paranoia of brain injury and tranquilizers were unable to do much of anything except get injured. After hearing all of the havoc he had dealt, and the inability for even his incredibly specialized lunar guard members to handle him, Artemis had been thinking. Thus, at this first opportunity to leave his recovery room, he had decided to meet with Dusk Shine to discuss an idea he had formed in the past days. He had sent a message, and while Dusk and the hospital staff were wary to agree, he had insisted that he must meet with him somewhere private, away from all the prying eyes and ears of the attendants. After some haggling, they had reached an accord that they would meet just down the hall in the hospital's radiology center, where they had assured lead-lined walls, practically sound proof doors, and a dark environment. All of these appealed to Artemis, so he had accepted, secretly looking forward to a reprieve from the bright hospital lights that had tormented his eyes since his arrival. “Thank you nurses, but I feel like it is time for you two to stay here.” Artemis said, using his most official and serious tone, leaving no room for question or counter. The two ponies only nodded solemnly in reply, moving out of the midnight blue alicorn's way as he carefully walked to the door and opened it with his magic. The magic therapy he had done had returned some of his use of magic, but the doctors had warned him that too much exertion would only slow the healing process. Quickly checking over himself, he decided that his appearance was a bit too haggard and cast a simple illusion spell to hide the stitches and bandages that crisscrossed his body. Looking back at the nurses behind him, he managed to catch them both staring wide-eyed at his transformation before the two blinked and noticed his questioning look. At this, the two mares nodded vigorously, putting on smiles that told Artemis he looked alright, perhaps shockingly so. The prince strolled as casually as his braces and crutches would allow into the hallway, glancing left to see the guard posted by his doorway spring to a surprised salute. Looking to his right, he saw the guard at the end of the hallway follow suit, and two idle nurses dip into low bows. Good, he thought, at least they still remember I am their leader. Not too much has been lost by the shenanigans of my brother, even if it may have damaged my image a bit. Turning back to his left, he addressed the still-saluting guard. “Shadow Step, it is fortuitous that one of my co-captains is here by my door at this time. Find Captain Stardance and tell her that you two will be assembling my entire guard in the courtyard nearest to here this evening at eighteen hundred hours. I have a very special opportunity for a select few of them, so tell them to come dressed in full parade dress, and stress that they must look their best and most... dangerous.” The pegasus stallion quirked an eyebrow slightly at this peculiar set of directions, but nonetheless gave a curt nod and began off swiftly down the hallway. The captain stopped at the other guard at the far end, and he spoke quietly to the other Lunar guard. After a brief salute, the two took off towards the castle proper, on their way to the night wing and the lunar barracks. Artemis extended a hoof to take a step, but paused mid-motion as he realized that he had no idea where the radiology center was in the hospital. Looking around for a sign or some such marking that would lead his way, one of the nurses behind him piped up. “End of the hallway to your left, last door on the right.” Artemis nodded gratefully back to them, and could have sworn he heard a few suppressed giggles from the doorway as he went on his way. ~~~ Opening the doorway, a brief cry of alarm met the prince, startling him until he recognized the voice as Dusk Shine's, and proceeded to enter. Once in the room, his excellent night vision discovered why he had alarmed his friend. Dusk was situated in the far corner, lying on his back with his head and forelegs inside an open compartment of one of the radiology machines. The purple alicorn quickly teleported himself out and upright, already babbling excuses for his odd position. “I swear, it was like that when I found it! I thought there was something wrong with it, so I was fixing it! I thought it had a mouse stuck inside it!” Artemis let out a laugh, and, upon realizing how good it felt and how long it had been, let out more. He broke out into a full set of guffaws and bent over double, tears pooling in his closed eyes. Dusk, for his part looking embarrassed and ashamed as a foal caught with his hoof in the cookie jar, let out a nervous chuckle and looked around for what was so funny. Wiping his eyes and looking around, Artemis caught sight of several nurses and attendants, all with varying degrees of concern and amusement written out on their features. Waving a hoof dismissively to them, he closed the door, only to turn around and see Dusk hurriedly closing up the doors and panels of the machines he had been exploring. This caused another belt of laughter to escape the Lunar Alicorn, who had to lean himself against a nearby chair to keep himself from falling over. “A...Are you alright, Artemis?” Dusk asked meekly, trying to change the focus off of himself, as well as gauging whether or not his friend had been driven mad by the recent events. Taking the lack of coherent response as a bad sign, he approached the alicorn, who was now gasping for breath between his remaining giggles, and rested a hoof on his shoulder. “No... Do not worry thyself... Dusk...” Artemis gasped out. “I simply... haven't laughed in quite a while, and it felt good.” Dusk heaved a sigh of relief as his fellow prince righted himself and gained control of his breath. “Yeah, Berry told me a long time ago that laughter was good for you, but he was wearing a lampshade on his head and hanging from a chandelier at the time, so it was a bit different. Laughter does feel pretty good, I guess... the dopamine levels that it releases can help numb pain and give you a feeling of general well-being and...” Dusk trailed off as he realized that what he was doing was probably not what Artemis had asked him here for. Artemis cleared his throat lightly and decided to change the subject. “Well, I could probably learn a few things from your friends, since they haven't tried destroying Equestria recently...” He said, his expression darkening as he crutched to a nearby bench and gingerly sat upon it. “Hey, don't say something like that! We all have our bad days, I mean, I certainly have felt like blowing up stuff when I have been mad before. You just happen to hold a... lot more power and ability to blow stuff up than most ponies. Bubble Berry totally has done his best to destroy the world when he is in one of his... moods, but the worst that comes of it is profanity spray painted in impossible to reach areas, and popped balloons at birthday parties...” Dusk let out an abashed chuckle, cringing at the memory, and the glaringly obvious fact that he wasn't helping much. “That is precisely why I have invited you here today, Dusk.” The Lunar Aspect straightened upon the bench in the corner, and Dusk Shine relaxed slightly at the positive reaction. “I do hold far too much power for anypony to feel safe around me.” “No, that isn't what I meant at all!” Dusk said, his grin replaced with a look of shock. “You just are so powerful that what would be a tiny reaction from a normal pony could be disastrous. It simply is scaling of power, the magnitude is the same by ratio, but you are on a completely different category of beings than ordinary ponies. The power you have is fine, you just need some help controlling it. You don't need to do anything... extreme.” Dusk said, fearing some grim order to siphon his friends power out of him, or maybe something even more macabre. “No, no. I am blasted enough already, I am not about to do anything foalish that would limit my power, Equestria may need it. All I am saying is that my brother and I are, no matter how much we try to hide it, just like you ponies inside. We have feeling and fears, and, as I demonstrated, we can throw tantrums just as any other pony would. The significant difference is that our shows of bad temper end up with world shaking results.” Artemis grimaced. “Wait, you mean Solaris has gone ballistic too?” Dusk asked, and at the look he received, quickly added, “No offense!” “Yes, we have both gone 'ballistic', as you so eloquently put it. Draconia didn't always have those great mountain ranges, after all. A bitter betrayal by our dragon allies cost Solaris one of his most prized commanders.” Artemis leaned close to his friend and quirked a conspiratorial eyebrow. “...And lovers, if rumors are to be believed...” Seeing the look of dismay and confusion of Dusk's face, he decided to elaborate. “Goldwing was as beautiful as she was fierce, but no amount of earth pony strength will help against the likes of a dragon thousands of times her weight.” “Wow.. I never knew he had ever had a special somepony... much less within the force! That is so against regulations! If my sister hadn't waited for her colt-friend to leave the service, she would have been kicked off the force before she could even dream of making captain.” Dusk laughed at the mental image of Gleaming Shield as a baker or farmer. “Well, that was a millennium ago, and that regulation was set up after the incident. Still, though, fire-breathing dragons being melted by sunlight is a sight that nopony present was ever able to scrub out of their minds. The dragon population still has not recovered, that is why you so rarely see them.” Artemis shook his head, shivering at the terrible recollection. “Jeez, but how? Dragonhide has a higher melting point than anything but, like, pure tungsten! It is a good thing he didn't melt through the polar icecap while he was at it...” At the look he received, Dusk cringed. “How long did it take for them to reform?” “It only took a few years with the help of magic, but that amount of snowfall, not to mention the crags Solaris had torn from the ground, created the most inhospitable terrain on the planet. The new dragon king has never complained though, because, while he was but a baby at the time, he was there when my brother quite literally went supernova.” “That explains... actually a lot.” Dusk said, nodding thoughtfully. “So, what did you have in mind for me? I could, um, track down my old friendship reports and get you guys into some support groups... I mean, friends helped me through some hard times, maybe that will work for you guys?” “Not quite my idea, but I guess I could stand to make a few more friends around here...” Artemis grimaced at the thought of going to another party at the castle, which inevitably ended up with too much drinking and broken furniture for his taste. “What I was wanting your assistance with was more of a... contingency plan, so to speak.” “Alright, I'm listening. Though whatever it is, you have to promise you will let me help you out with the friend thing.” Dusk replied, looking sternly at Artemis. “That seems permissible to me. What I need your help with is assembling a task force to protect Equestria. I know that currently, it is our job, but this crack team will defend Equestria from us.” As Dusk tried to say something, Artemis waved a hoof to stop him. “My brother and I are as unpredictable as anypony, and we need something else in our same power category that is more level headed and can go hoof-to-hoof with us Aspects, so to speak.” “That's why we have the elements of harmony. My friends and I are the most powerful force on the planet. Why assemble a different team? Or would this team be the six of us?” Dusk said, confusion playing out across his features. Artemis shook his head. “While the Elements of Harmony have saved our flanks many a time in the past, it is not good policy to call on your friends. As great as you six are together, your friends are private individuals, several of whom run businesses or have usual employ, and we can't expect your friends to drop everything and run to save the world at a moments notice. While I am sure some of your friends may have read about the events in the newspapers, only one of the elements of harmony was aware of the crisis that occurred on the moon. To bring that great power to bear, we need to assemble all six of you, and that takes too long, as evidenced by you being the only bearer who attempted to stop me.” “Well, we could set up some sort of... uh... hotline for emergencies, and I could teleport my friends or something. No, one of us could be away from our houses or simply not hear the call...” Dusk said, his snout crinkling in concentration as he puzzled out the problem. “We could wear some sort of alarm watch thing and... uh...” “The task of bringing you all together at a moments notice is too much of a liability. Besides, it is ridiculous to rely totally on just one group of ponies, none of whom are still in the military, and say that is good enough.” Artemis said, shaking his head dismissively again. “What I need is a specially trained and equipped squad of ponies who can stay at our beck and call, not only to protect Equestria from royal hissy fits, but to also be a personal guard to us in times of crisis. For example, the changeling invasion would have been crushed much more expediently if I had not been ambushed in my bedroom by an imposter set of guards. When Eris broke free from her prison, we could have had a response team on site to help us subdue her.” Dusk nodded his head. “I guess it would be helpful, and the gang could use a rest. So what help do you want from me? I don't know too many specialist ponies like you are talking about, though I might have some ideas for equipment.” Artemis chuckled and looked over at him. “What I need your help for, Dusk Shine, is to lead it.” ~~~ With a little help from Dusk and Solaris, Artemis managed to raise the moon into its path across the heavens. Though he was unwilling to admit it to the other princes, just that small use of magic had worn him down, so he quietly slipped away from them as they went to the royal dining hall for dinner. Slowly, the dark alicorn walked along the back halls to his bedchambers. As he rounded the corner and caught sight of his doorway, he was shocked to see caution tape and maintenance cones set up in a perimeter around his room. Panic formed a small knot in the pit of his stomach as he brushed aside the tape and reached a hoof out to the door. Artemis flinched as soon as right his hoof touched the door, which immediately slumped open, barely hanging on one hinge. His once-proud and intimidating black doors had been damaged beyond repair, and what lay beyond, or lack thereof, was sickening to the prince. Leaning through the damaged door frame, he grimaced at the massive hole that was currently occupying the space of his room. Stepping back as a wave of vertigo overtook him, he anxiously looked around for a guard, but was disturbed to find none present. “Guards! Gua...” He began to call out, but stopped as he suddenly remembered that they were assembling at the parade ground. A rather alarmed-looking maid peeked her head around the corner of the corridor, and Artemis blushed. “Never thee mind, continue with your tasks.” He said in what he hoped was a comforting voice, and contorted his features into a pleasant grin. The earth pony mare looked at him curiously for a moment more, then turned away and returned to where she had come from. Artemis breathed a sigh of relief, and then shook his head, trying to dispel the odd clouds that hung in his mind. He attempted to rub his left hoof against his temple, but nothing happened. He looked down and saw that it was bound in a brace that resisted his bending of the leg. Panic and confusion tore through him at the sight, suddenly noticing the sensation of many such bandages all across his body that he somehow had not noticed until then. Falling heavily on his plot, he sat in the hallway, right on the floor and started shaking in fear as the world danced around him. What is going on!?! Why am I bandaged so? Am I dreaming? Is this some nightmare? No, I couldn't feel this if it were a dream. Then why can't I move my wings? Do I still have my wings!?! Artemis' mind swirled with panic as he attempted, in vain, to look at his own back, struggling against the neck brace he was wearing. He sighed in defeat, and slumped forwards, only to be greeted by a sharp pain in his chest and abdomen. Gasping in pain, he looked down, and saw a massive round gouge in his stomach, right below his ribs. At the sight, his memory suddenly and violently returned to him, slamming into him like a brick wall. All of it, the fight on the moon, the hospital, the meeting with Dusk, rushed back to him, filling in holes in his recollection he did not even know were there. He reached his hooves out to steady himself, feeling like he had just walked out into a storm. Suddenly, the hole where his room should be, the bandages, the pain, the guards, all of it made sense to him. He realized that the reason the bandages had so suddenly surprised him was due to the fact that he had been casting a spell to hide them, and when he had forgotten, he had stopped casting the spell. “Woah.” He managed to utter, finally regaining control of his senses. That was... not pleasant. I hope that does not happen again. I guess that is what head trauma does to you, even to immortal alicorns like myself... Artemis hated the feeling of being powerless against such a thing, since he could not use his magic nor brute strength against an obstacle inside his own mind. He was able to move the stars above, he could lift the mountain he was sitting on, he had entered the dreams of untold millions of ponies throughout the ages, but he could not even maintain a hold over his own mind. Before his dismal mood soured further, he heard the distant clanging of the clock tower, and counting the rings, discovered that it was time for him to meet Dusk and go to the courtyard to see his guard. I am glad I remembered before somepony had to come find me, that would have been truly embarrassing. Sighing heavily, the Lunar Prince stood, stiffly adjusting to the limits that the bandages and braces gave him. Looking himself over, he decided to re-apply the illusion spell, hoping this time he would not forget about it. Closing his mind and envisioning the layout of the castle, he took off in a route that he hoped would avoid the attention of too many idle ponies as they got off their day shifts. ~~~ As soon as Dusk opened the balcony door, the cold mountain air blew in, causing Artemis and Dusk's manes to whip back and forth across their faces. Artemis flinched at the feeling, not used to having a mane made from actual hair, and suddenly felt a pang of self-consciousness. He gulped and pushed the thought from his mind, following his friend out onto the balcony that overlooked the courtyard. A strong sense of pride filled his heart as he saw Dusk gawking at the assembled Lunar Guard. He reached the railing and too looked out across the legion of guards and soldiers. Every guard was in full parade dress, just as he ordered, and the illusion spell on each set of armour made all of their coats a uniform grey, all of the pegasi wings looked more like bat wings, and all of the unicorns' horns were sharpened to vicious points. All in all, the several hundred ponies before them looked quite dangerous indeed. Arranged in the back were the half dozen squads of night guards for Canterlot Castle, clearly identifiable by their ceremonial and decorative halberds. While the cumbersome weapons would have little use on a real battle field, Artemis had decided that they looked sufficiently intimidating for the task. In front of them was the battle hardened platoon of regular Lunar soldiers, each with their battlefield armament buckled on and positively bristling with weapons as a group. At the head of the group was Artemis' pride and joy, his personal guard of specialists, the masters of stealth and reconnaissance who would accompany him on the most dangerous missions during a battle. At the front of the block of ponies were two guards, wearing jet-black armour trimmed with silver leaf, that Artemis recognized as his two captains. Said ponies turned towards each other, locked eyes, and quickly began barking out orders to the guard in uncanny synchronization. All the ponies came to attention, including a caught off-guard Dusk Shine, who quickly relaxed and chuckled in embarrassment at Artemis' curious and amused look. The two co-captains turned back forward, and looked expectantly up at their princes. Dusk Shine looked over at Artemis, and noticed a look of consternation playing out across his face. “What's up?” He asked quietly, too which the lunar prince shook his head. “I am trying to figure out how to get down there... I don't want to show them I can't fly, nor teleport, but at the same time, I think that going in and taking the stairs would show them that too... Hmm...” Dusk surveyed the courtyard below and leaned over to Artemis. “I could teleport you down there with me. I could even make it look like you teleported yourself.” At this, a relieved grin played out across his companion's features, his eyes glimmering with gratitude as he gave a quick nod. “Alright, breath in, and out...” Dusk said, and the world contorted around Artemis. Just as fast as it started, the tunnel closed, but he was now on the ground a few paces in front of his captains, Dusk right at his side. He donned his most regal and confident expression, giving a simple nod in reply to his two co-captains bowing deep before him, followed by the entire force. “Prince Dusk Shine shall be inspecting the force tonight, to select from your numbers those who shall undergo trials of induction to a highly exclusive team. Answer his questions, do as he commands, and most importantly...” Artemis said in his royal Canterlot voice, loud enough for the entire force to hear him, trailing off at the end to let the guards answer. “Make the night proud!” The large group of ponies shouted simultaneously, the thunderous response startling Dusk. Artemis cracked a small grin as he looked over at his friend, and nodded for him to proceed. Dusk Shine quickly trotted to the front column, and slowed down to walk along the side of the block. He was surprised to find that the first few guards' sets of armour were bent and damaged, bearing grievous rends in the thick metal and holes through the mail. “Why are your dress uniforms so damaged, soldiers?” The three guards he addressed looked at each other, the one on the end shrugged and nodded, and the middle one spoke. “Well, sir, we were on a 'diplomatic' mission in Griffonia...” He used his wings to make air quotes, to which his other companion chuckled, but Dusk quirked an eyebrow in confusion. “We were spying on the royal family, but dressed like normal royal guards for Lord Artemis. There were diplomatic conversations going on, but he had a feeling that it was a trap, so we would casually go look around while the king and diplomats were in negotiations. Sure enough, we found a large force of griffons equipped for battle lying in wait for an ambush. Dude, they had rebel emblems painted on their uniforms and everything, but were totally being briefed by the Kings men, remember that?” The guard laughed, as he elbowed the pony next to him. “Yeah, so we formed up and locked down the diplomatic chambers where the negotiations were going on, and informed Lord Artemis.” Said the guard next to the first who had spoken. “Then we went in there and kicked pl... attacked the group of griffons, while the prince dealt with the royals and diplomats. We had a few injuries, but it was funny how fast their moral broke when old Ironhorn popped their leader like a feather pillow.” He laughed and nodded down the line to an obviously experienced unicorn with a metal plate attached to the side of his head, supporting a metal portion of his horn. Dusk grimaced at the sight, recognizing the plate as an old treatment for a unicorn when their horn had been split down the middle. “How can he still do magic like that?” Dusk asked in horror, trying in vain to banish the thought of such a terrible thing happening to him. The group of battle-hardened ponies in front of him chuckled at the prince's weak stomach. “It was split just to the left of the core, so it was just the hard horn bone to the side that was replaced. Still, he has a little trouble with accidentally killing whatever he is casting magic on.” Added in a unicorn soldier nearby, laughing darkly at what he had said. Well, I guess he shouldn't be on the force, though I doubt he could kill either of the princes. But still... better safe than sorry. Dusk thought to himself, mentally making a list of the guards he would invite to the trials. He then walked further down, past the group of chuckling soldiers to the battle hardened regulars. As he approached, a particularly chilly breeze blew past, causing the alicorn to shiver. He looked at the ponies in front of him, all of whom were only in their light metal armour that must have been quite cold compared to the coat he was wearing. “Aren't you cold? Jeez, it must be almost freezing out here!” He asked idly, more to himself than to the guard. Dusk then jumped as he was responded to. “No wind too cold,” The few guards in front of him shouted, who were then immediately joined by the rest of the guards. “No sun too hot! No cave too deep, no peak too high! Where we are needed, we go! For Equestria, For Glory, For The Night!” Dusk Shine almost fell backwards as the guards recited their mantra in aggressive bellows. He looked towards Artemis, who was laughing at him from next to his captains. He quickly teleported back to him, and slugged him in the shoulder. Artemis' laughter stopped immediately, and he hissed out “Ouch...” as he tried to keep the pain from his face. “Oh, sorry!” Dusk said, remembering the condition of his friend, despite what showed. “But still, you have to tell me what not to ask them, that was crazy. I don't want another heart attack just because these guys are crazy. This is why we Solar Guards called you guys 'Lunatics'... jeez...” “See! Told you!” Captain Stardance said to her fellow captain, who blushed and chuckled. “That makes two to one, I win the bet!” Captain Shadow Step sighed and rolled his eyes. “And you know what that means...” She chuckled and her horn lit up, a ballerina tutu appearing between them. “Ugh, fine!” He said grudgingly, quickly grabbing the tutu and hiding it under a plate of his armour. At the strange looks the two were receiving from the princes, Stardance took the initiative to explain the situation. “When he had the guard recite the mantra after practice every day, I told him that ponies would just think we are crazy. He said it made them sound 'deficient and dangerous' or whatever.” “That was 'efficient and dangerous'!” Shadow quipped, blushing harder in indignation. He glared menacingly at his fellow captain, who only laughed and grinned in returned. “Yeah, so I told him that if I could get more princes to agree with me than him, he would have to wear a tutu on duty for a week.” Dusk laughed at this, and Artemis smiled at their antics. “What did you have to do if he won?” He asked, looking over at Stardance. It was her turn to blush at the question, and she looked away from the stallions. “I'd... uh... rather not say...” “Oh, you don't get off that easy!” Shadow said, chuckling in revenge. “She would have had to clean Prince Solaris' bedchambers.” Dusk looked confused and cut in. “Doesn't he have staff to do that?” Stardance sighed, drawing the attention of the other ponies, and replied to Dusk's question. “No, I would give them the day off, and I would do it while wearing... this.” She materialized a Prench maid outfit for them to see, though this one was much more revealing than any outfit the normal maids wore. Dusk blushed deeply and Artemis let out a loud guffaw, trying to imagine the well trained and deadly captain in the outfit, and trying not to think of the reaction she would get from his brother. “Be glad you won, Captain Stardance, because that would be quite a day with my brother. You wouldn't be able to forget an experience like that no matter how hard you try...” Artemis said, chuckling apologetically as she blushed furiously at what he was implying. Dusk Shine cleared his throat awkwardly, and teleported back to where he had left off to continue his inspection. Artemis looked back and forth between the co-captains, and quietly comforted them. “He is still young, even by your standards. What he lacks in experience he more than makes up for in knowledge and courage. He will do well leading his task force, though I hope one or both of you would be willing to assist him with it.” Both ponies saluted him, and he nodded gratefully. ~~~ Artemis' steps lead themselves towards the night wing of the castle, but as he saw a pair of construction ponies walking out of the hallway to his room, he remembered that no room waited for him that way. Sighing heavily, he turned and took a side hall leading to the annex that connected with the day wing. As blue and black banners were replaced with white and gold ones, Artemis yet again internally flinched at the gaudy and bright decorations lining the hallways. It was early in the night, yet still the braziers blazed with blinding intensity to illuminate the high vaulted corridors, shedding plenty of light to examine the ancient tapestries depicting the valiant exploits of Solaris. Artemis grimaced as he noticed the distinct lack of a single mention in any image of him, as though Artemis didn't even exist in this end of the castle. While that had been the case for a millennium, he had been back for several years now. He appreciated the efforts to restore the night wing from how it was as a disused storage wing, but still Artemis noticed what a definite shadow he was still in, cast by his brother. Rather than being two sides of the same coin, as they had once been, now he was barely above the lowly nobles of Canterlot court. While he garnered bows wherever he went, it was only a nicety and courtesy of those who thought of him as “Prince Solaris' younger brother.” and nothing more. Artemis growled in frustration, and looked ahead, grimacing further as he saw a brilliant tapestry depicting Solaris standing triumphantly atop the slain corpse of the mighty Trigon, the sun beaming down over his shoulders, and starkly without the figure of of his brother standing beside him, as he had been when the two had slain Trigon nearly three millennia ago. As he came closer, he recognized the weave of the fabric, and realized that this was an ancient tapestry that had been magically altered to omit the former presence of the Lunar Prince. “Ugh!” Artemis grunted out loud, stomping a hoof. He winced and lifted his leg to reveal a splintered tile beneath. Sighing, he continued walking and began muttering to himself. “What's worse is that even if I were to change it back, nopony would believe me, and everypony would think I am simply changing history to make myself look better. The only pony alive to know differently is Solaris, and he is probably the one who changed it!” The cobalt alicorn suddenly came to a stop, and his glowering ceased as he realized that he now knew another pony who might understand his plight. A slight grin tugged at the corners of his mouth as he set off at a much quicker pace, swiftly navigating through the map in his mind that lead to his temporary quarters that had been set up for him in the foreign dignitary suite down the hall from Solaris' chambers. At a curt nod, the two saluting day guards opened the elaborate doorway to Artemis' new room and closed it quickly after he had entered. Artemis used a simple spell to light the lamps, but flinched as the use of magic stung at the base of his horn. The doctors said that would happen, and that it is normal for magic users after a blow to the head. Artemis told himself, trying to quell the surge of panic in the pit of his stomach. Though I am still not comfortable with the fact that I can not defend myself... In case something does happen... Artemis gulped, and decided a little precaution couldn't hurt. He turned and opened the door halfway, slightly startling the guards outside. “Soldier, might I borrow your sword for tonight? I need it for...” He searched for a believable reason, but could not think of one. Then, noticing that neither of the guards were unicorns, chose a tactic he had learned from his brother. “I need it for a focal constant in my divination. Don't worry, it will not be damaged, and I shall be very careful with it.” At the look of confusion and slight awe that played across the guards faces, he decided that his use of “tactical- bovine excrement” or whatever it was that Solaris had called it, had been completely successful. “Uh... Sure thing...” Began the stallion to his left, but was interrupted as his fellow guard jabbed him in the ribs. The guard to Artemis' right then spoke up. “Of course, My Lord.” He said formally, bowing deep and using his wings to offer forward his sword. The scabbard was ornately gilded with small lines of gold leaf depicting a sun motif on a brilliantly polished silver background. The hilt of the sword was similarly gaudy, with a large red gem mounted in the gold-plated pommel. Yet another needlessly ornate feature of this hall... though I shouldn't complain, I did have every halberd custom made for my guards... “Thank you.” Artemis said quickly to the guard, retreating into the room and shutting the door. Walking across the large room, he set the sword on the edge of the writing desk, and moved the few items on the desk to put them away. But as he opened the drawer, he found a neat stack of writing paper, rich and formal enough for the visiting royalty to write royal messages and decrees on, if necessary. “Hmm... I guess I could write a letter to her, and I can get Dusk to send it for me in the morning. But how would he get it to her... Well, he could get it to her the same way I got to her. My mirror is still intact, and I see no reason hers would not be. From there it would be a simple scrying modification of the spell I used, and the scroll would fall out of the surface of the mirror in her world just as easily as sending a message to my own room.” With this in mind, Artemis pulled the paper out, and leafed through to get a rough estimate of the number of sheets. Finding there to be plenty enough, since he doubted he would write more than one page, he set the stack to his right and laid out the rest of his materials. Unstoppering the ink, he set the bottle next to the dabbing cloth, and adjusted the desk lamp to cast a bit more light. Laying a sheet in front of him, he dipped and dabbed his quill and brought it over to the page. Then he stopped. Artemis had no idea how to address his double, and had never written a personal letter to a mare without having some objective or purpose, like a favor from some noblemare, or perhaps an invitation to a banquet. He pondered what this letter's purpose was, and could not decide. He simply knew he needed to talk to her, but he knew not why. Do I need to get her to convince anypony to support a new bill? No. Is she a crucial member of a committee that I need to have vote a certain way? No. Why am I writing this letter? Do I... want to ask her out on a date? He blushed at the thought. The idea of the beautiful mare he had met on the moon eating dinner with him caused his heartbeat to quicken and his mind to spin. No... I have just met her... that would be far too forward. Perhaps invite her to have a simple chat? That seems reasonable. Artemis nodded and put the quill to paper, his magic causing a twinge of pain in his mind, which he ignored. In flowing script he began to write. Dear Princess Luna, Artemis frowned, and crumpled up the page, brushing it into the bin beside the desk. Too casual. Remember, she is a foreign dignitary in her own right, and I have only met her once. This has to be a formal entreaty, not some foal's hearts and hooves card. Princess Luna, co-ruler of Equestria, Aspect of the moon, It would be most opportune if Again, the page was crumpled and discarded. No way am I going to use the word “opportune” to describe meeting with her! She needs to know that this means something to me... But I don't want to seem clingy and gushy. Who would want to talk with a bleeding-heart wimp of a stallion? Ugh... What would Solaris do? He got that other mare...who is her sister, I guess. Well, if it worked once... Hey baby, You and me, a couple of bottles of my finest champagne, and nopony around to hear us Artemis grunted and quickly disposed of that one, shuddering at the memory of how he had caught his brother and Luna's sister... going at it. Not that I would mind that with Luna, though...Ugh, no! I will not be some single-minded fiend, driven solely for the goal of bedding any mare in my sights. I just want to talk to her about how this feels, and see if she knows what I am talking about. I just hope she feels the same... I don't want to dump on her and drive her away... Hmm... ~~~ Several now-crumpled attempts later, Artemis looked over his latest try. It was succinct and simple, but still genuine, he felt. Nodding after reading it over a third time, he stored his supplies, and left the letter out to dry on the desk. He stood and stretched, hearing a disconcerting amount of popping and clicking from his body, and decided to turn in for the night, extinguishing the lamps around the room. Glancing back once more before he turned out the desk lamp, he noticed that the sword had been brushed off the desk and was partially hidden behind the desk where it sat. He started to move towards it, but shrugged, not feeling any particular need to retrieve it now, and snuffed out the last lamp. Settling into bed, he gently tossed and turned, tiredly attempting to find a comfortable position, but continually finding himself lying on an injured area, and having to adjust. After a little while, he gave up, and tried to cast a spell to make him weightless. A sharp pain ran down his forehead and he saw stars, reminding him that he was not supposed to be using magic. I wish she could be here... perhaps that would help me sleep. Hmm... I wonder if I could get her to let me stay with her if I complain enough about how much I hurt... Artemis chuckled, imagining the gentle caress of her silken fur against him, her soft wings wrapped around him. He sighed, and with a smile on his lips, drifted off to sleep.